New City Law Would Sterilize, Microchip All Cats And Dogs
By Chad Garrison Wed.
Sep. 21 2011 at 9:57
A bill under consideration in the St. Louis Board of Aldermen could make St. Louis one of the most restrictive cities in the nation when it comes to owning cats and dogs.
Board Bill 107 would require all pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs and cats and microchip them for identification. Those who don't want to sterilize their pets would be assessed a fee of $200 per year.
The sponsor of the bill, Alderwoman Lyda Krewson (Ward 28), tells Daily RFT that the goal of the bill is to encourage responsible pet ownership. Krewson worked with the city's Department of Health in drafting the legislation, which comes on heels of the city of St. Louis facing something of a stray animal crisis with the closing last year of the city's animal shelter.
"The goal of this, over time, is to cut down on the number of stray dogs and cats in the city," says Krewson. "When we take on pets, we also take on the responsibility of caring for them. We already require that pets be vaccinated for rabies and that people abide by the leash law. This is just another step in that direction of caring for our pets."
Krewson notes that most shelters require micro-chipping and spay or neutering before adopting animals out. And other cities -- including Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, Memphis and Tulsa -- have similar laws requiring that pet owners sterilize their dogs and cats. Yet that information didn't stop what Krewson calls a "lively debate" during last Friday's board meeting when the bill was up for perfection. . . read more
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